Knox Boys Improve To 3-0 In Conference Play!
Once again, Harold Weinberg Gymnasium in Knox provided exciting Hoosier North Athletic Conference basketball action. Twenty-four hours after the Lady Redskins earned a 51-22 win over the Lady Warriors, it would be the boys’ teams that would go at it on Saturday night!
The level of intensity would start high for the two teams at Weinberg Gym and remain at a maximum level throughout the game, mainly on the defensive end of the floor, as the two old rivals entertained the socially distanced crowed in Knox. It would be the Warriors who were the aggressors first, jumping out to a 15-11 lead in the first quarter, behind their usual patient style of offense. It would be the second quarter of the ballgame which would end up being the biggest difference for the home-standing Redskins. After being outscored by four points in the first quarter, the Redskins would go on the attack in the second, behind a tremendous scoring effort by center Declan Austin. The 6’6 Sophomore would score thirteen of his game-high sixteen points in the first half, despite being challenged in an extremely physical manner most of the half by Winamac’s Beau Brandt. The thirteen first half points by Austin would account for more than half of the first half points for the Redskins, as they took a 23-17 lead into the locker room at the half, outscoring Winamac 12-2 in the second quarter.
The second half would see a very competitive effort by the two Hoosier North teams, as the defensive intensity continued to be at an extremely high level. The third quarter would see a very even, albeit, low scoring affair, with the Redskins narrowly outscoring the Warriors 8-6, forcing Winamac into four turnovers on their way to a 31-23 lead at the end of the quarter. Knox Seniors Gunner Wagner and Cade Short would be constant forces for the Redskins in the scoring column throughout the final sixteen minutes of the game, as the two would combine for fourteen of the team’s twenty-three second half points. Wagner would double his scoring output from the first half, putting up eight points in the third and fourth quarters, while Short equaled his first half total of six. While neither team had a “dream night” at the free-throw line, the two teams split as far as the success factors go from the charity stripe. The edge in volume would go to the Redskins, who went 17-32 at the line compared to the Warriors 10-18, giving Winamac the edge in percentage, hitting 55% of their attempts, compared to Knox’s 53%.
The Redskins’ defense would also pick up the level of play in the second half. With Winamac only committing two turnovers in the first sixteen minutes, Knox would force the Warriors into eight in the second half, five of which came in the third quarter. Short’s effort on the defensive end of the floor in the second half would prove to be one of the biggest differences favoring the Redskins, as the Senior came up with three huge steals, giving him four total in the game. As the game progressed, the balanced attack of the Knox Redskins would end up being too much for the Warriors, as the Redskins would have three players hit double digits in scoring, led by Austin’s fourteen, while Short and Wagner would combine for twenty-four points, putting up twelve points each.
“The kids have been working really hard and have been really receptive” Knox Head Coach Rob Krueger said following his team’s win. “They’ve been coachable and that’s all we ask of them is to take what we teach them and execute on the floor. So we’re really happy with the way they’ve responded after that tough day over at Plymouth”.
The effectiveness of Wagner, Short, and Austin in the scoring column for the Redskins had Krueger especially excited following the victory, as the trio put up thirty-eight of the team’s forty-six points in the game.
“We had a lot of balance, scoring wise” Krueger said. “Declan Austin came off the bench and had sixteen for us. As a Sophomore that’s a career high. We had Cade Short for thirteen rebounds, so he was active on the glass” Krueger continued. “Gunner Wagner got after it defensively and hit some big shots for us in the third and fourth quarter. Owen Binkley handled the ball well, Cohen Watson came in off the bench and played well. We’re really developing some depth out here and it’s nice to have some options when we get into foul trouble or need to sit somebody and give them a little breather”.
The Starke County Co-Op Play of the Game on WKVI came in the fourth quarter with 4:29 remaining. Sophomore Center Declan Austin made a strong move in the paint to drop in a big field goal for Knox to put the Redskins ahead by nine, 36-27, on their way to a ten point win.
The Ashley Derrickson/Five Star Player of the Game on WKVI went to Knox’s Cade Short. Cade was one of three players in double-digits scoring for the Redskins, putting up ten points in the win, which included hitting seven of ten free-throws in the game. Rounding out his double-double, the 6’2 Senior was also able to pull down eleven rebounds to go along with four steals, providing Knox with much needed energy on both ends of the floor from start to finish.
Knox improves to 4-5 on the season, including a perfect 3-0 record in the Hoosier North Athletic Conference, and will be back in action on Friday, January 15th, when they play host to the LaVille Lancers in another HNAC matchup. Winamac falls to 2-5 on the year with a 1-2 HNAC record and will return to the hardwood on Tuesday, January 12th, playing host to LaVille.
Game Statistics
Scoring
Knox(46): Gunner Wagner-12, Cade Short-10, Owen Binkley-5, Ethan Wakal-2, Trent Messer-1, Declan Austin-16
Winamac(36): Ryan Gregor-2, Trent Fox-9, Carson Bennett-6, Russell Compton-4, Matt Swartzell-6, Beau Brandt-9
Made 3-Point Shots
Winamac(4): Trent Fox-2, Matt Swartzell-1, Beau Brandt-1
Knox(1): Cade Short-1
Free-Throw Shooting
Knox: 17-32 53%
Winamac: 10-18 55%
Rebounding
Knox(31): Gunner Wagner-5, Cade Short-13, Cohen Watson-2, Owen Binkley-2, Trent Messer-1, Declan Austin-8
Winamac(21): Jaden Terry-2, Trent Fox-3, Carson Bennett-3, Russell Compton-5, Matt Swartzell-2, John Malchow-2, Beau Brandt-4
Steals
Winamac(6): Ryan Gregor-1, Carson Bennett-2, Russell Compton-2, Beau Brandt-1
Knox(4): Cade Short-4
*Statistical Information In This Article Provided By Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Staff. These Are Not Official Game Statistics*
